More Guys Are Shopping Like Girls

We're seeing it more and more. Retailers turning shops into man
caves, and most recently, those man caves are turning into
parties.

This Thursday NYC bespoke-style men's suit shop, Windsor
Custom, is inviting gentlemen to come over for a flight of
three Glenmorangie Scotches and a custom shirt for $150.

The store is under The Ainsworth, an upscale sports bar, so the
idea is that guys come with friends; drink; shop; and then head
upstairs for the start of March Madness.

The whole event is a really good example of where the whole male
shopping experience is going in general. First, of course,
there's the move toward affordable custom clothing we've been
seeing for a while now ($150 for a bespoke dress shirt sounds
like a deal).

The second trend is man-friendly space. According to
The New York Times, retailers from J.
Crew to Ugg, Saks Fifth Avenue to Christian Louboutin (think
red-soled high heels) are completely rethinking men's stores, and
in some cases, building completely separate spaces from women's
stores.

Retailers are putting a lot of thought into the layouts of these
spaces too — think: places to sit, darker colors, gadgets and
reading material lying around.

Lastly, men's shopping is getting to be a group activity — not
something that's done with a female, not something that's done
alone.

It's a big change, and even though men have been the fastest
growing segment of the adult apparel market, the change is coming
slowly.